A Trotwood minister, whose lawyer said he has been a
"sex addict" since age 10, sought treatment rather than face trial
in a Brookville police-run Internet sting that presented a virtual
14-year-old boy in a chat room. But a Montgomery County judge denied
his plea for treatment Tuesday.

Brannon submitted a half-inch-thick brief with reports from
physicians and psychotherapists who had treated Turner for
complaints of "memory loss" as well as the more recent concerns
about sex addiction.

Brannon wrote that Turner was abused as a child "sexually,
emotionally and physically to a lesser extent."

He wrote that Turner started looking at pornography at age 10
"and since that time has had compulsive desires to look at it
. . . Throughout high school, college and even seminary
. . . sex was on his mind all the time.

"He had his first sexual experience with another male at the age
of 19 while in college," Brannon wrote. "Shortly after he began
surfing the Web . . . his addiction slowly began to grow."

Turner had been pastor of Anchor Community Church, 38 S.
Fairgreen Drive, for seven years when he was arrested last summer.

Montgomery County Prosecutor Mathias H. Heck Jr. said in July
that the minister struck up a "conversation" in an America Online
chat room with what he thought was a 14-year-old boy.

Turner remained free after posting $25,000 bond set by a county
district judge last week, Heck said.

Hall said the courts adult probation department reported that
Turner had not "accepted responsibility" for the acts of which he is
accused. The Ohio statute lets judges accept a guilty plea and order
treatment that, if completed successfully, can result in the
nullification of the case. However, the law requires the defendant
to accept responsibility, Hall said.

Hall also said Brannon had described "a non-drug addiction. The
court believes that is not something that should be handled by
treatment in lieu of conviction."

Turner is charged with three felonies: attempt to commit unlawful
sexual conduct with a minor, which carries six to 18 months in
prison; importuning, and possession of criminal tools, each with a
possible sentence of six to 12 months in prison.

The criminal tools charge comes from using the computer, Heck
said.

Conviction on the unlawful conduct or importuning offenses would
also require the judge to designate a sexual offender status that
requires the convict to register with the local sheriff for at least
a decade.